Game board



Feb. 26, 1929. 1,703,628 F. W. LAESCH GAME BOARD Filed Oct. 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented 'Feb. 26, 1929.

" UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

I FRED W. LAESCH, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO GEORGE W.

SAVORY, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

GAME BOARD.

Application filed October 28, 1927. Serial No. 229,395.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved game board.

A further object of the invention isto provide an improved game board adapted for use in playing a simulation of the game of baseball.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved game board adapted'for use in playing a simulation of'the game of baseball wherein all of the elements of the outdoor game may be duplicated.

A further object of the invention is to be found in the provision of a game board for use in playing a simulation of the ame of baseball wherein the element of skill on the part of the users of said board may have full play. i I i A further object'of the invention is to be found in the provision of a game board for use in playing a simulation of the game of baseball whereinthe possible indicated plays may be automatically changed to correspond with the given situation of the game.

A further object of the invention is to be found in the provision of a game board for use in playing a simulation of the game of baseball wherein are incorporatedmeans for recording the progress of the game at all times. i

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved game board that is simple and inexpensive of manufacture, durable and substantial and easy of operation.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements 1 hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanying draw-- ings, in whichr Figure l is a plan view of the improved game board ready for play. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the board as shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is an end elevation of theboard as shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a horizontal section through the board on the indicated line 44 of Figure 2. Figure 5 is a vertical section through the board on the indicated line 55of Figure 1. Figure 6 is a vertical section at right angles to Figure 5 on the indicated line 66 of Figure 1. Dotted lines in Figure 1 indicate the position of surface elements of the board removed to disclose the section.

In the construction of the game board, as

shown, a base 10 is provided whereon are mounted all the elements of the game board,

said base being preferably rectan ular in plan, of a length greater than its Wi th, relatively thin, of any convenient size, formed with a smooth bottom surface adapted to rest on any suitable support and of any suitable material such as wood, metal or composition. Forconvenience of construction the'base 10 may be provided with a separate top surface 11 and marginal finish strips 12, as illustrated, but when made of metal by stamping or pressing the parts 11 and l2-might Well be integral with the base 10. A conventional baseball diamond or infield is defined by lines printed, painted or, otherwise designated on the top surface 11, the home plate and second base positions being located on the longitudinal axis of the board. A spring pin 13 is positioned at or immediately behind the home plate position and extends vertically above the surface 11 and the first, second and third base positions are defined by apertures or windows opening through the surface 11, the

pitchers box being defined in the con'ventional position by means of a slight depression in said surface. A field of play, including the infield above described, is outlined on the surface l1 by means of strips 14 spaced from the base positions and rising above he surface 11, the strips at either end of the board being preferably curved substantially as shown. The boundaries of the infield or diamond adjacent the home plate, commonly known as foul lines, are further defined by means of strips 15, the'inner or'adjacent ends of said strips being spaced from the home plate and the outer ends thereof being extended to contact with the strips 14 on either side of the field of play. The field of play thus defined between the strips 14' and 15 is further divided by a plurality'of lines radiating from the home plate osition, which'lines mark off the said field o play'into variously divided by means of partitions 19 into a number of pockets, in this instance fifteen, each of said pockets being identified by means of a number or other identifying mark placed therein. In like manner, a trough 20 is formed inside of and adjacent the strip 14 closing the field of play behind the home indications such as Foul, Foul out, Ball and Strike. A back-stop or strike board 22 is formed with a concaved face in opposition to the home plate position and is mounted on the surface 11 withits concaved face in alinement with the outer margin of the trough 20 immediately behind the home plate position. .A plurality of cups 23 are formed in the surface 11 and base 10 and are spaced about on the field of play, some of said cups being marked with play indications, such as Out and others being marked with numerals or other indi'cia. Apertures or windows 24,

in number equal to the indicia identifying the cups 23 and pockets of the trough 19, are spaced apart inparallel columns and open through the surface 11 on either side of the board outside of the field of play, each of said apertures 24 being identified by means of a mark corresponding. to one of the indicia used in the pockets of the trough 19 and cups 23. Parallel slide bearings are formed in the base 10 parallel with the longitudinal axis of the board and beneath each column of apertures 24 and the first, second and third base positions, and a slide member 25 is formed with parallel arms 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 mounted in said slide bearings and adapted for rectilinear reciprocation therein. An arm 31 is formed on the slide member 25 and extends therefrom in a direction opposite to that of the arms 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 and parallel therewith, said arm 31 extending beneath the trough 18 and terminating adjacent the end margin of the board. A slotted card or plate 32 overlies the end of the arm .31 outside thefield of play and a post 33 is fixed to the arm 31 in position to extendupwardly through the slot in said card, said post 33 being provided with indicating arms 3ft movable with said post over the upper surface of the card 32 and terminating above said card, in a ball or handle whereby said post may be manipulated. Thus it may be i seen that the member 25, arms 26, 27, 28,29,

30 and 31, post 33 and indicators 3t-form a unit adapted for rectilinear movement relative to the board and parallel with the longitudinal axis thereof, and the card 32 is provided with a column of play indications relatin to the number and )osition of men or D i i (t 77 (C players on base, such Bases clear Man on 1st, Man on 2nd base, etc, eight of such play indications being necessary to properly 'the'base or bases to be. occupied.

show every possible situation that might arise relative to the bases. The arms 27, 28 and 29 of the slide member 25 are marked in any suitable way so that the apertures representing the bases will show'one color, white for example, when the base is unoccupied according to the indication of the card 32 as shown by the pointers 34 and some other color, black for example, when the indication shows Thus a visual indication is given, simply by moving the post 33 until the indicators 3e point to the desired situation on the card 32, of the situation as regards the players on base. Since every change of situation on the bases introduces the possibility of additional plays,

such as putouts on base, double plays and the like, the arms 26 and 30 of the slide member 25 are provided with a list of plays, each in column form, saidplays being arranged to be exposed through the apertures '24 in accordance with the situation on bases. In other words, when the indication of the pointers 34 shows the bases to be clear, only those plays that are consistent with the situation will be exposed through the apertures 24, and when the slide 25 is moved to show a man on first base, the plays indicated through the apertures 24 will be only those that could vactually take place in a like situation, the same holding true for each of the eight possible positions ofthe slide and arms. On either side of the card 32 are mounted score or recording'means whereon a tally of the score, including the inning of the game, strikes and balls against the batter, outs and runs made, may be kept by means of pins or plugs in a common manner. The game is played by means of a ball '35, preferably of metal or some relatively heavy material.

- When the game board is to be used in playing a game of baseball, two players, or two groups of players, take part. The board is placed in a level position on any suitable support and the ball 35 placed in the depression representing the pitchers position. One of the players takes the field to start the game andpositions himself at the end of the board behind second base and facing the home plate, from which position he propels the ball 35 with a flip of his finger toward the pin 13, attempting to pocket the ball in the trough 20, preferably in the pocket marked Strike, only one of which is to be found located immediately behind the pin 13. If the player succeeds in passing the pin 13 with the ball 35, said ball will strike the backstop22 and be deflected downward into the trough 20 and the playindication shown by the. pocket in whichthe ball comes to rest will be tallied against the batter, three strikes retiring the batter and scoring one out and four balls advancing the batter to first base,

indicating color is shown through the aperture at the first base position; Should the ball strike the pin 13' and be deflected outside the field of play behind the foul lines, it will fall into the pockets of the trough 20 marked Foul or Foul out and the corresponding tally will be made in accordance with the well known rules of baseball, or the ball may fall into one of the cups marked Out with theresult indicated by the cup or may come to rest on the surface 11 behind recorded on the tally cards or by moving the slide 25 to bring about the situation called for by the play. Should the ball come to rest on the surface 11, the play will be determined by the color of the section where the ball stops, one color, red for example, indicating an out and the other color a safe one-base hit,the proper tallies and shifting of the slide being then made in accordance 'With baseball rules. When one'plaver has scored three outs the other player takes the field, and the players thus alternate until the nine innings of a game'have been played. With practice, considerable skill may be acquired in scoring strikes and the game thus becomes more than a simple hazard, and

since provision has been made forchanging the play indications to correspond with the situation on bases, the game has all the ele ments of a real baseball contest.

Since many changes of form and construction may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention',-I wish to be understood as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims. 7

I claim as my invention I 1. A game board comprising a base having a smooth, plane surface, a baseball diamond outlined centrally of said surface, strips'rising from said surface to marginally define a field of play about andincluding said dia mond, a spring pin rising vertically from said surface at the home plate position, apertures opening through said surface at the first, second and third base positions, partitioned troughs intersecting said surface at either end of said field of playwithin and adjacent some of said strips, tabulated play indications carried by said surface without said field of play and corresponding indicia carried by said play indications and the partitioned sections of one of said troughs; together with indicating means slidingly mounted in said base beneath said plane surface and "isible through said apertures,

whereby the presence or absence of players, on base may be indicated through said apertures. I v

- 2. A ameboard comprising a base havin a smoot 1, plane surface, a baseball diamon outlined centrally of said surface, a spring pin rising vertically from said surface at the home plate position of said diamond, apertures opening through said surface at the first, second and third base positions of said diamond, strips rising from said surface to marginally define a field of play about and including said diamond, other-strips rising from said surface on the foul lines of said diamond, a back-stop fixed to and rising from said surface on the margin of said field of play behind said spring pin, a depressionin said surface to designate the pitchers box within saiddiamond, a ball adapted to be positioned in said depression and flipped against said spring pin or back-stop and pocketsmarginally disposed at either end of said field of play and variously disposed about the field of play to receive said ball, said pockets bearing play indications or indicia corresponding with tabulated play indications carried by said board without said field of play; together with indicating means slidingly mounted in said base beneath said plane surface and visible'through said apertures, whereby the presence or absence of players on base may be:ind'icatedthrough said apertures. V t o 3. A game board comprising a base'having a smooth, plane surface, strips rising from said surface to marginally define a field of play thereon, a. baseball diamond outlined centrally of said field of play on said surface, the home plate position of said diamond being marked by a spring pin rising from said surface and the other base positions being designated by apertures opening through said surface, a slide member mounted for rectilinear reciprocation in said base beneath saidsurfa'ce, said slide member having parallel arms extending beneath and visible through 'said apertures, means carried by said arms and visible at times through said apertures to differentiate between clear and occupied bases, manually-operable -means whereby said slide may be moved relative to said surface and indicator means ca-rriedby said operating means and movable over a tabulation of play situations whereby the situation to be shown on the field of play may be determined.

4. A game board comprising a base having a smooth, plane surface, a field of lay defined by limiting strips about a baseb mond outlined on said surface, apertures opening through said surface to denote the first, second and third base positions of said diamond, pockets marginally disposed at either end of and variously disposed about said field of play, some of said pockets being all diamarked with play indications and other of said pockets bearing indicia referring to tabulated plays carried by said board, parallel columns of spaced apertures opening through said surface at either side of said field of play and a manua1ly-operable slide 7 member mounted for rectilinear reciprocation beneath said surface, said slide member having a plurality of parallel arms disposed in sliding relation beneath said base apertures and said columns of spacedapertures and'vlsible therethrough, the arms beneath the base apertures being marked with indidiamond being designated by apertures opening through said surf ,ce, a plurality of pockets disposed about said field of play, some of said pockets being marked with play indications and others of said pocketsbearing indicia corresponding with the indicia of spaced apertures opening through said surface without said field ofpl'ay and a slide member mounted for manual rectilinear reciprocation beneath said surface, said slideinember hav ing a plurality of arallel arms disposed beneath and visible t rough said base apertures and'spaced apertures, the arms of said slide member beneath said base apertures being marked with indications visible at times therethrough to differentiate between clear a and occupied bases and the arms beneath said spaced apertures bearing tabulated plays adapted to be exposed through said spaced iapertures'in accordwith the situation shown on' the bases; together with meanscarried by said base outside said field ofplay whereby arecord of the score and game situation may be tallied.

6. In a game board of the character de-' scribed having a field of play and a baseball diamond outlined on the surface thereofand a plurality of pockets disposed about the fieldof play and bearing play indications or reference indicia, means whereby the range of possible plays may be automatically made to conform with the situation relating to runners on base, said'means comprising apertures opening through the surface of said board at each of three base positions of said diamond and parallel columns of spaced apertures bearing reference indicia' to correspond with theindicia of said pockets and opening through the surface of said board without the field of play and a manually-operable slide member having a plurality of parallel arms mounted for rectilinear reciprocation beneath said base apertures and columns of apertures and visible therethrough, the arms beneath said base apertures being marked with indications visible therethrough at times to difierentiate between clear and occupied bases and the arms beneath the columns of apertures bearing veach a tabulation. ofplays arranged to be exposed through said apertures in accord with the situation shown on the bases.

7. In a game board of the character describedhaving a base and smooth, plane disposed about said field of play and adapt ed to receive said ball at times, playindications or reference indicia carried by said pockets, apertures opening through said surface at each of three base positions and columns of spaced apertures opening vthrough said surface without the field of play, and a manually-operable slide member having a plurality of parallel arms beneath and visible through said apertures whereby the indicated plays exposed through the apertures in column may be varied to accord wit-h the situation of runners on base as shown by markings on some of said arms visible through said base apertures. V

Signed at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, this 13th day of October, 1927. I

FRED V. Li ESCH. 

